Museveni says government will “study” Facebook reopening as youth push for access

• Museveni tells youth that government will “study” the possibility of restoring Facebook in Uganda.

• Says the 2021 ban was intended to “teach them a lesson” and insists Uganda has continued to thrive.

• Youths argue Facebook is vital for digital business, while official reopening plans remain unclear.

President Yoweri Museveni has said government will reconsider the continued restriction on Facebook, four years after the platform was blocked in Uganda. The President made the remarks on Sunday while meeting youths at his Rwakitura farm under the ongoing Unstoppable Campaign.

During the interaction, one of the youths asked why Facebook remained inaccessible without a VPN, noting that digital platforms are now central to business and marketing.

“What the youth are doing these days is because of the internet. Every youth is digitalizing their business. They market on social media platforms. So if Facebook can also come back and remove that restriction on it…” the young attendee said.

In response, President Museveni defended the initial decision to block Facebook in 2021, saying it was done to “teach them a lesson.”

“We shall study that because I had to teach them a lesson, because they thought that without Facebook Uganda would disappear. But Uganda is thriving,” Museveni said.

“For example Ookonyero has got some little problem but we are moving ahead. The cows are going home and coming back. We had to make it clear that they can’t stop us. We are unstoppable.”

Facebook was blocked in January 2021 after government accused the company of taking down accounts belonging to pro-government individuals and for what officials called “bias, misinformation and political interference.” Since then, many Ugandans have continued to access the platform using VPNs. While government officials occasionally hint at the possibility of reopening it, no clear plan or timeline has been communicated.

Museveni also used the meeting to speak about the future of internet access in Uganda, pointing to new global infrastructure like satellite technology.

“The internet is through the wires, the cables underground, then in the ocean. But Elon Musk is proposing satellite, cheaper… In the past, we were using satellite and it was very expensive. Then we started using cables which were cheaper. But now Elon Musk is saying he can make it even cheaper by satellite,” he said.

He added that Uganda would take advantage of emerging technologies as global players compete for market space.

Despite his remarks, the President did not confirm if or when Facebook would be restored officially. For now, Ugandans continue to rely on VPNs as the platform remains blocked on local networks, and government’s stance on its return remains unclear.